


Healing Stone

by LittleLadyBigDreamer



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, AU: High School, Bullying, F/M, For the first part, Friendship, I promise, It gets happier, kinda angsty, not all of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-13 02:40:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5691544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLadyBigDreamer/pseuds/LittleLadyBigDreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra Cillian was just trying to fit in but when her secret is revealed she finds an unlikely ally and they begin to realise they're not that different at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kez06](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kez06).



> Giftfic for Kez06 on Tumblr. Slightly based on the prompt: Imagine your OTP meeting as kids and Person B decides to woo Person A by giving them pretty rocks that they find.

Cassandra awoke with a start and rolled over internally groaning as she rolled over to stop the incessant beeping coming from her night stand. Sunlight gleamed through a gap between her curtains and she winced as it met her eyes. Ugh. For a moment she forgot where she was. She knew it was "her" house and "her" bed but there was something unfamiliar. Oh yeah. Oklahoma. Her parents had made the decision to move down there after finding out about her tumour and insisting there were specialists there who could give them a second opinion and clinical trials she could participate in, and Cassandra being Cassandra had agreed with silent defeat. They couldn't accept it. They wouldn't. Ever since they found out about her illness they had stopped believing she was capable of anything and were determined to find some way to make it all better, despite the fact her oncologist had said it was inoperable. Some people would say they were being caring parents and only wanted what was best for their young daughter but Cassandra knew better. It was inconvenient and embarrassing for their STEM champion, straight-A daughter to no longer be perfect. She sometimes felt they were mad at her for being ill, like it was her fault and she'd decided she wanted an inoperable oligodendroglioma just hanging around in her brain. She sighed and closed her eyes wanting nothing more than to pull the covers back over her and hide from the world for a little while but knew the hassle she'd get if she did. She hauled herself out of bed and began to get ready to face the day ahead of her. 

****

Jacob woke to the sound of muffled arguing just outside his door, his sisters arguing over who got the bathroom first, again . He dragged himself out of bed and began to get ready for school knowing he'd never get back to sleep anyway, they'd still be arguing for another five minutes before he could sneak past and use the ensuite in his parents room which the girls never used for some reason. Not that it bothered him that much since it left him able to leave for school earlier and leave behind the shouting that usually came from his house, either in the form of his squabbling sisters or expectant father. He showered and made his way downstairs, grabbing some toast his mother had prepared before kissing her on the cheek and making his way out the door. He passed his father on the porch and suppressed a groan as Isaac Stone shouted "remember I need your help on the rig tomorra boy so don't you be makin' any plans ya hear?"

"Yes Pop" he muttered as he made his way to his truck, hoping it would start today. 

****

The day dragged on as usual and Cassandra was beginning to get tired as she made her way to room M5. Being the new girl she hadn't really made many friends in the month she'd been there so the days seemed longer than usual, plus she always felt like she was the subject of people's whispers, not that she was trying to be self-centered or thought she was that important she just felt...watched. At least she had Math to look forward to to end her day. She walked into the classroom and heard the chatter fall to a dull silence as she took her seat at the front of the class (no other seat had been available or at least not taken up by the bag of a jock or cheerleader or anyone else who didn't want to sit near the freaky new girl who saw numbers and letters and smelt science as breakfast, nor did they wish to be that close to the teacher). She looked around and caught a few people staring at her, others staring and then turning to their friends as the whispering picked up again. Oookay. This was weird. Well, weirder than normal. She always thought she was just imagining things but right now it really did seem like everyone was talking about her. Confused and...honestly...afraid, she positioned her body right towards the front of the class and put her head down, trying to mind her own business and hoping that she was just overthinking things.

It was about 32.2 minutes in as she was discussing the Taylor series with Mr May that she heard the words _new girl_ and _tumour_ being thrown in her direction. She froze and her heart sank as she tried to convince herself that she had heard wrong and was just being paranoid. That is until the bell rung to signal the end of the day and she heard Millie Lewis screech "ew don't let me touch cancer girl!" at Jordan Adams who had clearly thought it was hilarious to push his friend into Cassandra as they both tried to leave the classroom, leaving the redhead to kneel on the floor and collect the belongings that had fallen pray to gravity during the intrusion to her exit. Jordan and his posse laughed as they left, Millie still frowning in annoyance, arms held up in disgust like a second grader believing she had cooties. Cassandra shovelled everything into her bag as fast as possible barely even able to believe what had just happened. She heard a voice behind her and started, being pulled from her thoughts. 

"Cassandra" Mr May said, nothing but pity drenched in his voice. The teachers all knew, they had to. She expected it would have been a kind of "now the new girl is very ill and we must tread carefully around her...also her parents are both very successful in their fields and it would be beneficial to the school to have their support in any way", which translated basically meant "don't say or do anything to make the sick kid's parents angry cause they're kinda rich and we need new sports equipment if we're going to beat Johnson High in the Spring". But she had grown fond of Mr May in the short time she'd been there. She loved that she could talk about Math and her love for it without it being part of an academic contest that she had to succeed in or was laughed at by her peers for enjoying, and he loved the fact that one of his students was actually enthusiastic about the subject and was reminded that he didn't have to teach college or be a fancy mechanical engineer like his mother had always nagged at him for. No. In Math she was noted for her ability not her internal death sentence.

Cassandra looked up at him noting that the pity in his expression matched that of his voice and attempted a small smile, praying that the tears nestled in her eyes wouldn't betray the "it's fine" she whispered, before turning on her heels and fleeing from the room. Don't cry, _don't_ cry, she thought to herself as she stared at the floor passing the A-list group whom she'd hoped would have left the halls by now. She noted that a couple of other jocks wearing the school football jersey had joined the crowd, although one was looking at her with a different expression to all the others. She felt the still warm October air blanket her face as she burst through the doors at the end of the corridor and inhaled it all, feeling like the air had been stolen from her for the last half hour. How did they know?! The plan was to not tell anyone! It was bad enough that she'd be the new girl she didn't want to be tumour girl too! Too late. She was making her way across the courtyard when she heard the doors bang open behind her followed by raucous laughter. Then she heard it again, _cancer girl_ , not so much a whisper this time as an accusation. 

"I always knew she was weird!"  
"What is the point in her being here if she's just gonna die?"  
"Do you think she'll just drop dead one day?! Oh my god and the news and the cameras will be here! And we'll be on TV!"  
"What a creep thinking she can just fit in here. She's like the Grim Reaper just lurking around here"  
"More like Grim Creeper"

At that laughter erupted from the group and Cassandra felt like she was being beaten from the inside out. She did hear a new voice whisper "shh...come on guys, that's not cool" but she was already hurting too much to care about any possible ally. She could see the school gates ahead of her but they were becoming more and more blurred by the tears she was trying so hard to swallow, and finally, finally she just stopped. Her backpack, which she'd hurriedly thrown over her shoulder earlier drooped down her arm and she let it fall to the floor, and a second later her legs did the same thing causing her body to come cascading down to the solid ground beneath her. Tears flowed fast and fully as the young girl finally released all the pain and fear she had kept inside since the first night after she had been diagnosed. She'd never let on to her parents how afraid she was and how much she'd cried that first night. To them it was all just like an equation, a logical problem that needed to be solved, there was no point in getting sentimental about it. So she didn't. She continued to do as she was told, worked hard in school and travelled to different clinics to in different states to hear doctors say the same thing. They couldn't do anything. Yet her parents, smart and logical to the core insisted they could find some way iron out the kink in their formally perfect daughter, but still they took away all her trophies and medals from all her academic achievements, seeing them as nothing but reminders of the thriving future she would never have. Right now she felt more alone than ever and she was too tired to pretend otherwise. She didn't hear the arguing until one of the voices got closer to her and then all of a sudden there was a hand on her shoulder. 

"Seriously guys NOT COOL!" shouted the voice next to her.

"What the hell Jake! What? Are you telling us you like this loser? We're supposed to be your friends!" yelled Chloe Summers from somewhere in the clique now hovering a few metres away from them. 

"Well maybe I don't wanna be friends with people who think illness is funny and a reason to kick someone when they're down!"

"Jacob!" Chloe half demanded, eyes ablaze in fury and disbelief, but Jake was no longer paying attention. He had sat down next to Cassandra's quivering figure and was gathering her belongings together after they'd spewed out of her bag once again. Chloe and her gang stormed off muttering expletives at Jake as they left. Neither Jake nor Cassandra spoke for the first five minutes. 

"Thank you" Cassandra all but whispered, her face blotchy and red as her hair, gaze lost in the space ahead of her. 

"Don't mention it" Jake responded, stilling in his place next to her. He placed her bag between them and hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder once more, and she let go all over again.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and Cassandra get to know each other a little better after her awful day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this has taken so long. I had half of it done but got distracted by another work and then life got in the way and anyway here it is. I hope you like it.

Heartache and just pure sadness panged in Jake's heart as he comforted the redhead beside him. In her second bout of tears she had flung her head towards him and had burrowed it into his shoulder and he trailed his hand down from her shoulder to the top of her arm and held onto her a little tighter. He didn't even know her but he couldn't just let them torment her like that, not if the rumours were true. He usually just kept quiet while they jeered at anyone they deemed remotely "uncool" but there was something about this girl, the innocence in her ocean bambi eyes, or the look of sheer joy he often caught when she was talking something over with Mrs Roberts in Chem2. Maybe it was all the little details and quirks he'd picked up on that he didn't even realise he'd picked up on since she had started school that fall, but he knew enough was enough and he was going to take a stand against Chloe and Adam and all the rest of his so called friends. It wasn't that he never had fun with them, they had some good times but whether it was actually him or 'Jacob Stone: Jock, pinhead son of Isaac' who'd been having that fun he wasn't sure. They could, _could_ be nice people, if they liked you enough but he didn't trust a single of 'em, not even Chloe who he'd known since Kindergarten and had actually been a sweet little thing as a kid. Then again, Jake didn't trust anyone. But right now he trusted his actions and after standing up to the A-crowd he realised that for the first time in a long time he was happy with himself.

They sat there for a little while longer until the petite frame next to him stiffened a little, probably aware that she was leaning against a stranger. "Sorry" she uttered, returning his personal space, not meeting his eyes at all. "I- I don't know what came over me."

"Honestly, don't worry about it. If anythin' I'm sorry. For those jerks, for not stoppin' 'em earlier."

"It's not your fault. You didn't join in and you did stop them" she replied, smiling faintly in an attempt to make him feel better.

"Hey...um...I usually go grab a milkshake on Mondays after school with the guys, they don't have me to drive them today but they'll still probably be at the usual place um...but...uh...there's a couple other good joints around here that I know of. Wanna join me?" This time he noticed that her eyes were filled with delight as well as a smile.

"Sure" she nodded. Jake helped her up and held her bag as she dusted off her purple skater skirt and they began to walk towards the rusty orange pickup which he had pointed out was his.

"Was my Pop's. He wanted to get rid but I persuaded him to lemme keep it, told him I'd work on it and use my own money, that it wouldn't interfere wi' anythin' else. She's a classic." He always felt he owned people an explanation as to why his vehicle of choice was orange. He helped her into the faded passenger seat before climbing in himself and started out for Joe's Place. It was only a few blocks away and it wasn't the prettiest place in town but as he looked over at her, the sun shining in on her auburn locks, he noticed that she was lost in a world of her own, her eyes illuminated as though she was on a mystical adventure. Then he realised something.

"Oh. Uh...I'm Jake by the way. Jacob Stone."

****

Oh my god! She hadn't even been sure of his name and she'd just got into his truck and was letting him drive her to a place she didn't even know in a town she'd been in for five minutes! But why wasn't she afraid? She looked over at him, his piercing blue eyes gazing at her, his smile welcoming and kind just as he'd displayed in his actions earlier. She realised that he was looking at her because he was waiting for a response and snapped herself out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Uh...Cass- Cassandra. Cillian, Cassandra Cillian" she mumbled hastily and returned his smile.

"Well sure is nice to meet ya Cassie...formally".

And there was that charming smile again Cassandra noted as she felt herself blush before returning "you too", in almost a whisper.

They sat in relative silence for the last five minutes of the drive, the hum of the radio being the only sound that filled the air until Jacob came to a stop outside a little diner on the corner of a street from what she recognised as being just a couple blocks away from the main centre of town. It was relatively busy for the small town though nothing like she was used to, there were a few parents trying to bustle their way down the street with their toddlers in tow trying to stop them from leaping onto the children's rides that had probably needed oiling since 1982, small groups of teenagers celebrating their release from the confines of education, groups of older women in salons clearly gossiping about Betty's youngest daughter and the biker from out of town. It was different but she couldn't help but like it. Jacob locked the truck and came round to the sidewalk where she had been waiting patiently after hopping down from the passenger seat and motioned for her to follow him, momentarily placing his hand on her back. She shuffled behind him, glancing up at the red sign on the shop front which read _Joe's_ , a duplicate of which she assumed lit up in neon fire at night hung in the large window cascading over most of the store front. Jake pushed the door and held it open, nodding his head in an "after you" motion and she smiled as she entered the eatery, taking in all the little details it had to offer. Red booths lined the walls and front window, matching red stools were fixed into the black and white checkered floor, trailing round a long counter that took centre stage, a busy kitchen peeking out from behind it, the people in it almost hidden by white strips of paper wafting about that held orders from the clearly popular place. Cassandra noticed a jukebox in one corner of the room before glancing up at the walls which were painted a soothing teal and upon which hung framed photos of possibly the family who owned the place with baseball players and country singers. Jake found them a corner booth and they settled onto the cushioned seats, opposite one another, before Jake nodded in greeting to a grey haired man at the counter who promptly sent over a waitress to take their orders. 

"Milkshake and fries?" Jake enquired, breaking the silence between the two of them.

"Uh...yeah. Sounds good" she replied nervously, still no idea what she was doing there with a relative stranger.

"Flavour? Chocolate?" he guessed.

Cassandra shook her head and smiled faintly. "Strawberry. Reminds me of breakfast. I like breakfast foods" she revealed feeling her face flush slightly. 

Jake looked up at the waitress, apparently named Poppy according to her wonky badge. "Strawberry for the lady and vanilla for me...oh and curly fries!" Poppy nodded her head and walked away to place their order. Jake turned to Cass, a faint glow in his eyes and stated "Joe's curly fries are the best! Seriously. I don't care what your stance is on curly fries  
you have to try these!"

Cassandra beamed at him enjoying the way his animation and excitement at fries. "Okay" she said, stifling a laugh. "Wouldn't have had you down as a vanilla guy" she declared. 

"Yeah well...it's the safest" he replied cryptically. "People seem to have a problem with a guy liking chocolate, banana's I can't handle 'cause of an incident I'm pretty sure has somethin' to do with my sisters and a prank from when I was little...and strawberry is pink" he stated matter of factly. "Not that I'm tryna be stereotypical or patriarchal or anythin'...it's just...people, you know?"

She did. Kind of. She thought. "Yeah" she whispered. "Thank you for bringing me here" she said not wanting to create another uncomfortable silence. "It was really nice of you."

"S'alright. You looked like you could do with getting away. Sorry again about those guys before. Not everyone 'round here is like that." He smiled at her, eyes glittering with kindness once again. 

"Honestly, don't worry about it"

"And erm...uh...I'm sorry about the..."

Cassandra watched him as he winced trying not to offend her. "Brain grape?" she answered for him.

"Uh...what?" he asked both startled and perplexed. 

She smiled, both at his reaction and in an attempt to make him less uncomfortable. "My friend from back home called it a brain grape. That's about the size of it....which I really wish they hadn't told me cause I used to really love grapes. I hated that he called it that at first...but it kinda grew on me...pun definitely not intended" she added quickly realising what she'd said. Jake simply stared at her as Poppy returned with their drinks and fries. 

"Uh...your friend sounds...not very nice" he finally managed to say.

"He is. Well I mean...he has a...reputation of sorts but underneath it all he's really caring and sweet. He always looked after me even before..." she motioned to her head. "Besides, at least he was okay to talk about it." Jake looked at her questioningly before picking up another curly fry that was placed in a red basket between them. "My parents never really...they like having things just so and obviously I'm...not" she trailed off and took a sip of her milkshake.

****

Jake racked his brain for something to say. How could she just sit there and say all of that like it was okay? Like it was just so normal. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders and she was facing it seemingly alone and she was talking about it so nonchalantly. This girl was...somethin'. "Cassie" he simply stated. She looked up at him mid-bite expectantly waiting for him to finish his sentence. He didn't.

"It's okay Jacob, honestly" she stated. "It's just something I have to deal with."

"So um...how'd ya like it here?" he said changing the subject slightly so he wouldn't continue to stare at her in awe.

She shrugged. "It's okay. Quieter than New York. Warmer. Less...flashy than New Orleans. Friendlier than Dallas" she explained, seemingly ticking off a list of places she had been in her head. "Still getting used to it."

"You miss New York?" guessing that's where she was originally from. 

"Mmhmm" she nodded. "Miss my friends. The Library I used to spend half my time. Warm pretzels when it was cold. Can you believe I miss the cold? Definitely miss my best friend Ezekiel." Jacob noticed that she was now fiddling with a chain around her neck. 

"He give you that?" he asked, motioning to the silver chain with three silver squares hanging from it. At her affirmative nod he continued. "What is that..that your name?" 

Cassie looked down and attempted to nod with her head at the awkward angle it now was. She smiled as she spoke. "He got it for my birthday just before I left. It's my name spelt with chemical elements from the periodic table. He said the 'C' which is for Carbon is to always remind me that I'm made of the stuff of the universe. Every time I look up at the sky and see how wonderful the night is I should remember that that's all part of me. The 'As' is for Arsenic, he said wherever I am, whatever I do I'll always kill it! He watches a lot of crime movies - they always use arsenic to kill people" she giggled. "The 'S' is for Sulphur. I was telling him once about how much I love grapefruit at breakfast especially because of the smell. The smell in grapefruit is so strong because of its sulphur compounds. I didn't think he listened to me when I said stuff like that but obviously he did." She quietened as she ended her rambling, clutching her necklace and smiling, memories clearly brimming to the forefront of her mind. 

"Great gift. He doesn't seem so bad now" Jake admitted. A broader smile graced her face at his words and she perked up a little.

"Yeah. Plus he knows how much I like jewellery. Makes me feel like a princess" she whispered, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"Princess?" Jake grinned.

"Yeah. I remember when I was really little I had dresses and plastic jewellery given to me as gifts and I loved swishing around in them, getting all dressed up and believing in magic and princes and unicorns. But as I got older my parents didn't like me to make-believe so much. They said none of it was real and it was just distracting me."

Jake was really starting to dislike her folks. "They told you princesses weren't real?"

"Well no that bit they agreed on. But they said that real princesses still had work to do and worked hard so I should too. They did tell me that Santa wasn't real...at a very early age." She held up three fingers with a grimace.

Jacob's eyes widened in response. Okay. He really disliked her folks. They finished their fries and slurped up their drinks before paying and heading back to the truck, Jake helping her into the passenger side once more. She directed him to her house, and Jake silently noted that she seemed to keep flicking and swiping the air as she recalled the directions. He pulled up when she indicated they were there and got out to help her again. 

"I uh...I had a nice time. Thank you again" she smiled at him.

"No problem. Me too. We uh...we should do it again some time."

"Yeah. I'd like that" she nodded. "I'd uh...I'd better go. Bye Jacob."

"See ya around Cassie." He smiled back at her and watched her walk up the driveway before turning mid-way and waving. He raised his hand in return and got back in his truck. Jake's mind replayed the afternoon and the unexpected but enjoyable turn it had taken. He'd felt glad he'd helped Cassie earlier and now he was glad he'd gotten to know her a little better. There was somethin' about her that he just liked. He pondered her whole situation still unable to believe how someone so sweet could be facing so much all alone, and flicked back to one moment in the diner that had stuck with him. So Cassandra Cillian liked jewellery. Hmm.

****

Cassandra entered her house after waving Jacob off, peeling off a note that was stuck on the bannister that read _'home late, food in refrigerator'_. Ugh. She wasn't hungry anyway so she took the note with her as she climbed the stairs and made her way to her room. She flopped down on the bed, dropping her bag to the side of it as she did and thought about the afternoon that had not gone how she thought it would. She had been so upset when they left school, all she'd wanted to do was run back home to New York and seek comfort in the library there that often felt more like home while she watched Ezekiel steal the wallet of Mr Carsen, the Librarian, for no other reason than to snigger while he searched for it ten minutes later, only to be caught in a terrifyingly powerful grip by the library's security guard (and Mr Carsen's girlfriend they guessed) Eve. But now, now she felt different. She still missed home and everyone there but she'd made an acquaintance today that made her feel...better. Just better. He was different and she liked having him there, just to talk to, to listen to. He seemed to have his own problems too, not that he had revealed any but she had an inkling that he was so much more than he let people believe. Her mind flashed back to something he'd said about living the way people expected him to rather than how he wanted. So Jacob Stone was afraid of people. Hmm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Anything and everything is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake has a gift for Cassandra when they finally meet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long, I got distracted with some other fic and lost my way with this one a bit.

 It had been a week, he hadn't really spoken to her but he'd been pulled back into his old world and was struggling to get out again. Plus his dad had been on his case after hearing that he'd been "throwin' around attitude" at his friends, the kids of his friends and potential clients. Everybody knew everybody in this town. They'd acknowledged each other in the hallway, smiled across classrooms a couple of times but hadn't really talked much. He had managed to get Chloe and the others to back off a bit, they were probably afraid of another outburst. He almost didn't care what they thought, Cassie was great and didn't deserved to be treated the way they were treating her. But at least he had gotten the chance to know her a little better. He'd liked that. Jake caught Cassie coming out of Mr May's classroom after practice one afternoon and called over to her. "Cassie!" he waved. 

"Jacob" she smiled radiantly, "hi."

"How ya doin'?

"Uh good...I'm good. Well, as good as can be expected with..." she pointed to her head.

Crap, why had he asked that?! "Uh sorry I- I'm glad you're okay, you know, besides..." She nodded and they both fell into an awkward silence for a moment.  

"How about you? How are you?"

"Same. Usual" he replied, not revealing much. "Hey, are you free right now? Wanna catch up properly?"

"Uh yeah...sure why not."

"Great. Uh I'm parked right outside. Joe's?"

"Yes! I have been craving those fries for a week!" 

"Told ya" he grinned, enjoying seeing the smile on her face much more than he expected. 

* * *

They settled into their booth at Joe's, nodding to the pleasant owner who was hovering behind the counter as a waitress made her way over to them. They ordered the same things they previously had and turned to face one another, silence surrounding them as neither knew how to began the conversation.  

"So uh...how did practice go?" Cassandra asked, breaking the silence. 

"Alright. Usual, I get to barge into people and get applauded for it" Jake responded. "That doesn't make me sound great does it?" he added quickly. " 

Cassandra giggled. "It's football Jacob, you're allowed to say that. You know I bet you work out your opponent's weak points by simply working out their body mass and could calculate the right amount of force needed to to knock them to the ground!" She said the latter part with such excitement that Jake was genuinely a little startled. 

He raised his eyebrows in amusement and responded "remind me never to get on your bad side."

Cassandra blushed and looked straight down at the table, picking nervously at her nail varnish. "Sorry" she whispered. "If there's math and science involved I get a little competitive. Plus, people always underestimate me, especially since I got ill."

Jake nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that" he declared, still giving no additional details.

"Must be fun though. To stand in the crowd and shout and cheer and have hotdogs and get all caught up in the excitement of the game." 

She said it with such longing that Jake couldn't help but blurt out in a surprised tone "you've never been to a game before?!" Cassie shook her head. "Like... _ever_?!" She gave another shake of her auburn locks. "Man Cassie...how come?" he asked, now more intrigued than shocked. 

Cassie shrugged. "Never really had any reason. I was only allowed to go to events I competed in at school and no one else really went or was interested. Ezekiel, you know my friend back in New York? He wasn't really into sports, neither are my parents...Eve Baird, from the Library I used to hand out at, who we were pretty sure was Mr Carsen's, that's the Librarian, girlfriend, I used to hear her talking about the Yankees...but, that's not the right sport is it?" 

Jake laughed to himself. She sure could talk when you gave her the chance. "No Cassie. They're baseball."

"Oh" she replied thoughtfully. "Ooh what about the Knicks? She used to talk about them too!" 

Jake chuckled again. "Basketball" he stated with slight pity lacing his tone at her failed attempts to have sporting knowledge. This Eve Baird sounded like good company though, he thought. "You want the Giants or the Jets for New York, mainly."

"Oh! Yeah she mentioned those too but I always assumed she was talking about myths and legends, Mr Carsen loved all that stuff." 

Jake was beginning to lose track of how many times she'd made him laugh in the short time they'd been together. "Tell you what, why don't you come watch me play one time?"

Cassie's face lit up, "really? That'd be great."

Jake nodded in response. "Good, that's settled." They were interrupted by the waitress bringing their food and hastily tucked in the moment she left. 

An appreciative exclamation left Cassandra's lips as she ate her fries. "Mmm. Seriously, why did it take me so long to have these? Thank you Jacob Stone for bringing them into my life" she declared in absolute contentment. 

"You're welcome Cassie." Jacob flicked through the multiple thoughts in his mind like they were pages of a book. Should he give her it now? Was it too soon? It was too soon? But what if she needed to know she had a friend here, someone she could count on, because she could. When Jacob Stone cared about someone he did whole-heartedly, which sometimes meant he got hurt but then to be honest there were few people he cared about absolutely. But for some reason he had the feeling that Cassie was going to be one of those people. He didn't know how he knew or why, he'd only really talked to her a few times like this but there was something about her. "Cassie" he voiced softly, interrupting her ramblings about the fries in New York. 

"Hmm?" she asked, stopping mid-sentence, eyes wide and expectant. 

"Uh...I uh...my sister" he began, his nerves overpowering his ability to speak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "My sister is really into jewellery and stuff and I uh...I remembered what you said about likin' jewellery so uh...I got her to make you this from one of the sets she got from a store in town." From the pocket of his hoodie he pulled out a black cord adorned with three round gemstones. 

Cassandra dropped the fry she was holding and widened her eyes even more. "Wh- Jacob!" she exclaimed softly. "That's for me?" Jake nodded, anxiously trying to analyse her reaction. "It's beautiful." 

"Here, lemme put it on you" 

Cassandra lifted her arm up and held it across the table. Jake slipped it on to her wrist and tightened it using the complexly knotted cord before returning her arm to her. She gazed at it in wonder and admiration, trailing her fingers across the smooth jewels. A deep red gem sat between an earthy gold stone and burning amber one, and Cassandra found herself getting lost in their hues. It was so beautiful. Simple and beautiful.

"They're s'pose to be symbolic of gemstones and their healing properties" Jake piped up, pulling her from her thoughts. The uh, the red one is garnet, it's a stone of health, the gold is pyrite, it's s'posed to have defensive qualities and shield you from negative energy. The last one is uh...agate. It's a warrior stone, it enhances your courage and wisdom." 

The young redhead just stared at him. He had said it all with such wisdom and understanding, not like anything she had expected of him. She knew he was a little different to how other's perceived him but still, this she had not expected. Her insides fluttered in an unfamiliar way and she could feel her eyes start to prickle before slow tears began to run down her cheeks. "Jacob" she simply stated in astonishment. 

Jake's eye's now grew wider. Oh god, he had upset her, that was the last thing he'd wanted to do. "Cass-" he began but she cut him off.

"I can't believe you did this. This is one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me, and Zeke once stole me a STEM trophy." At his raised eyebrow she added, "long story, it was still nice of him though." Jake liked the way guy seemingly treated Cassie but that didn't mean he approved of his activities. "So, you have a sister?" she asked, clutching the one piece of information she'd given him.

"Three. I'm the youngest."

"That must be fun. And being the only son, you're family must love you."

Jake looked into her innocent eyes, she had no idea. "It has his ups and downs. Family ain't easy right?"

Cassandra nodded. He looked so sad. She didn't push the subject further, guessing he wasn't someone who revealed a lot about his life. They continued eating and talked about their days until Cassandra remarked that she had to head back as she had a lot of work to do for the AP classes she was taking. She spent the car ride explaining in greater detail what she referred to as 'The Stem Event'. 

Jake pulled up to the front of Cassandra's house and she turned to face him. "Jacob. Thank you. For all of this." Before Jake could respond she leaned towards him and flung her arms around him. 

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're welcome" he smiled, meeting her eyes. She smiled at him and turned to leave. Before she closed the door of the truck he called after her. "Hey Cass, the agate? Remember it enhances your strength, you already have so much in you. Don't forget that." 

Cassandra beamed at him, eyes sparkling in adoration. "I'm really glad I met you Jake."

"Me too" he replied. "See you later Cassie." She waved at him and stood in her drive watching his truck disappear down the street. Oklahoma was really growing on her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I'll try to update sooner. Anything and everything is appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> First part's up! I hope it wasn't too sad for you. It wasn't supposed to go like that and I have never felt any of those emotions, nor are any of the people based on anyone I know. Nope. None. 
> 
> It gets better from now. I really do promise. Hope you liked it, this was my first Jassandra based fic. Let me know what you think, anything and everything is appreciated.


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